Riyadh Begins Thumamah Road Eastern Section Upgrade

Work is actively underway on the eastern section of Thumamah Road in Riyadh, a roughly 8-kilometre stretch being upgraded with three bridges, three tunnels and four major intersections. The project is part of a wider program to develop the capital's main and ring road axes, and is designed to handle up to 200,000 vehicles

The four major intersections included in the scope are at Airport Road, Saeed bin Zaid Road, Sheikh Hassan bin Hussein bin Ali Road, and Al-Sahabah Road. Construction is currently focused on a bridge and tunnel at the Thumamah–Al-Sahabah Road intersection.

To keep traffic moving during the works, a diversion has been activated on Thumamah Road, redirecting vehicles onto a parallel northern road with three lanes in each direction. A service lane has been kept open for adjacent buildings to maintain access, alongside alternative routes and directional signs put in place for safety and traffic regulation.

The eastern Thumamah section falls under Group 3 of the program, whose implementation began on 29 December 2025. Group 3 covers six road projects at a combined cost exceeding SAR 8 billion, with an implementation period of three to four years. The contract for the eastern section has been awarded, with works scheduled to start in mid-July 2026 and completion expected in 2028.

Why it matters

The eastern section links major mobility axes across northern and eastern Riyadh, reinforcing Thumamah Road as a primary east–west corridor in the city. For residents and commuters, the upgrade aims to ease congestion and improve travel times once complete. No tolls or user charges have been announced for the road.

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